FORMER ALLY: Christie Knew About The Bridge Lane Closures As They Were Happening

A lawyer for David Wildstein, the Former Port Authority Director of Interstate Capital Projects and an ally of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said Friday that there was evidence the Governor knew about the closure of lanes onto the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, N.J., as they were happening in September.

Wildstein's lawyer, Alan Zegas, released a letter to The New York Times (and, subsequently, other outlets) in which he said: "Evidence exists as well tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly in a two-hour press conference."

"Mr. Wildstein contests the accuracy of various statements that the Governor made about him and he can prove the inaccuracy of some," Zegas wrote.

Wildstein was one of the officials who participated in the order to close the lanes. Messages from Wildstein were among those included in newly released documents earlier this month as part of state lawmakers' investigation into the closure of lanes onto the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee last September.

Christie's opponents have accused his administration of closing the lanes out of political retribution for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich (D) refusing to endorse him for re-election.

"Mr. Wildstein's lawyer confirms what the Governor has said all along — he had absolutely no prior knowledge of the lane closures before they happened and whatever Mr. Wildstein's motivations were for closing them to begin with," Christie's office said in the statement.

"As the Governor said in a December 13th press conference, he only first learned lanes were closed when it was reported by the press and as he said in his January 9th press conference, had no indication that this was anything other than a traffic study until he read otherwise the morning of January 8th. The Governor denies Mr. Wildstein's lawyer's other assertions."

Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, sent an Aug. 13 email to Wildstein that read: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."

"Got it," he replied.

Wildstein also mocked the concerns about school buses getting stuck in the gridlock that ensued from the lane closures.

"They are the children of Buono voters," he texted to Kelly, a reference to Barbara Buono, Christie's Democratic opponent in last year's gubernatorial election.

"I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution," Christie said. He said that until the release of the documents, he was still convinced that the lane closures were part of a traffic study.

Earlier this month, Wildstein pleaded the Fifth Amendment in testimony before the New Jersey Assembly Transportation Committee on his role in the scandal. The panel of New Jersey lawmakers subsequently voted to hold Wildstein in contempt for refusing to answer questions.

A spokesman for Christie didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.